Sioux Falls looks to Garth Brooks for business boost

Country star Garth Brooks is slated to perform in Sioux Falls with Trisha Yearwood in September.
Wochit

Buy Photo

The crowd at the Arena in Sioux Falls gets as close to Garth Brooks as a fan can get as he plays for a full house during the second show of a six-show marathon in Sioux Falls in 1997.(Photo: Argus Leader Media)Buy Photo

Adam Balding of Budget Blinds is quick to tell you: Garth Brooks is a big deal.

So when he was looking to promote his business online, he snagged a handful of tickets at $68 apiece – offering a two-ticket promotion for those who follow his Facebook page.

“We actually ended up buying eight tickets, which we’re doing the first two right now. Just because he has a wide demographic of people that follow him,” Balding said.

Garth Brooks knows he’s popular in Sioux Falls and the area, too. The country music entertainer is playing a sold-out set of nine shows in Sioux Falls this weekend and next, and businesses and city officials alike are looking to Garth-mania as a shot in the arm for the city’s economy.

In real terms, the Brooks show could bring in about tens of millions of dollars in spending, city officials estimate, as tens of thousands of Brooks fans swarm into Sioux Falls, buying goods and eating food.

But Brooks is also big business from a marketing and promotional standpoint.

“We won’t ever have an artist do this ever again in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,” said Chris Semrau, assistant general manager of the Denny Sanford Premier Center, which is hosting Brooks’ shows. “This is a one-of-a-kind event that we’re so thankful to be a part of.”

Garth Brooks and Sam Bush perform at the 54th Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards at the Ryman Auditorium on Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP)(Photo: Wade Payne, AP)

Downtown gears up for Garth

Downtown Sioux Falls may be a couple of miles from the Garth Brooks show location, but downtown officials and businesses are gearing up to be party central. Brienne Maner, vice president of Downtown Sioux Falls Inc., said the conversations started early.

“Downtown Sioux Falls has been and has always been a community player, and we were part of a bigger conversation with city officials, with some folks of SMG-Premier Center, to talk about what can we do in downtown Sioux Falls to both showcase the downtown area and provide more parking options, more shuttle options,” she said.

The conversations led to a partnership with Erika Billion, owner of 8th & Railroad Center, a center point for the increasingly bustling East Bank part of downtown including the “Brewer’s Row” strip along 8th Street.

Buy Photo

A solo performance mesmerized Garth Brooks fans during a six-show set in 1997.(Photo: Argus Leader/File)

“It’s just kind of a natural gathering spot where it would be easy to coordinate a shuttle, coordinate some food trucks to come down and park and turn it into a pre- and post-experience for those who are coming to town,” she said.

Downtown businesses are also buying into Brooks, Maner said. Chelsea’s Boutique posted a blog post shopping guide for dressing for a Brooks show (”What to wear to a country concert”), Soli Salon is offering a ticket promotion and Josiah’s Coffeehouse & Cafe is offering recipes cooked up from Trisha Yearwood’s recipe book.

City officials look to sales, but want more buy-in

City officials can smell the lucrative tax revenue from the Brooks visit.

But on Monday, they held a press conference asking for local businesses to buy into the nine-show extravaganza.

“Shine those boots, get out those cowboy boots, make those posters,” said Mayor Mike Huether. “Let’s make everyone feel welcome to the city of Sioux Falls.”

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Garth Brooks performs at The Country Music Hall of Fame 2015 Medallion Ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015 in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP)
Laura Roberts, Laura Roberts/Invision/AP

Artist Garth Brooks gives a fist bump to a fan during his performance at the 2017 CMA Music Festival at Nissan Stadium on Thursday, June 8, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP)
Laura Roberts, Laura Roberts/Invision/AP

Country music star Garth Brooks, on right, with band member kicks off his Garth Brooks World Tour at the Allstate Arena on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, in Rosemont, Ill. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
Barry Brecheisen, Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP

Garth Brooks accepts the milestone award at the 50th annual Academy of Country Music Awards at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, April 19, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Chris Pizzello, Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Country music star Garth Brooks, on right wearing black cowboy hat, performs with band member kicking off his Garth Brooks World Tour at the Allstate Arena on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, in Rosemont, IL. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
Barry Brecheisen, Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP

Garth Brooks speaks on stage at the 49th annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, April 6, 2014, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Chris Pizzello, Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

From left, Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks perform at The Country Music Hall of Fame 2015 Medallion Ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015 in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP)
Laura Roberts, Laura Roberts/Invision/AP

FILE - In this July 8, 2016, file photo, Garth Brooks sings "Ain't Going Down" during a concert at Yankee Stadium in New York. Brooks, along with Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban are nominated for entertainer of the year at the CMAs (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)
Julie Jacobson, AP

Garth Brooks accepts the award for entertainer of the year at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Charles Sykes, Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Officials noted that out of 108,000 tickets sold, about 60 percent were sold to people outside of Sioux Falls. Huether noted even locally purchased tickets might be held by locals for out-of-town visitors or family in town to see the show.

The extra out-of-town money could bolster local retailers fighting off online retailers, where buyers’ money goes out of town, Huether noted.

“Anything you can do to buy stuff face to face or in a bricks-and-mortar environment, such as a Garth Brooks show, that is just huge for our community,” he said.

The tens of thousands of visitor will give local businesses a shot in the arm, and local businesses should show their excitement, the officials emphasized.

Teri Schmidt, executive director of Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau, said her estimate is that Brooks visitors will bring in more than $12.3 million in hotel stays alone, if only one-third of ticket holders stay overnight.

A conservative, times-three estimate in terms of economic impact rollover puts the economic impact at $37 million, she said on Monday.

“Offer specials in your businesses, put a sign in your window, put it on your marquee, wear some buttons in your office, have a potluck with Trisha’s recipes,” she said. “But most of all have fun and roll out the red carpet.”

Brooks a potential marketing bonanza

The appearance of the two artists in Sioux Falls wouldn’t just be a popular moment on social media. It could mean real value for businesses involved.

Budget Blinds is far from the only business using coveted Brooks tickets for promotional purposes. Radio stations and even a newly opened apartment complex have posted ticket offers, hoping those seeking tickets will visit their businesses or follow them on Facebook. And the hopes run rampant.

“My one wish and hope is that Garth and Trisha come down and take a picture in front of that beautiful bison on Phillips Avenue and post it on Instagram or something, “ said Maner, of Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.. “Shania Twain did something similar when she was here and we put it up on our Facebook page and it is still to date the most popular post we’ve ever put up.

“So we would love for them to do that and for them to come down and experience Sioux Falls, and whatever they’d like to do.”

Want to know how big Brooks is for Sioux Falls business? Ask Semrau, of the Premier Center. He’s been deluged by businesses with appearance requests by Brooks and his wife and fellow country star Trisha Yearwood, ones that get passed on to the artists’ tour.

“We’ve received the most requests we’ve ever received by far for an artist appearance,” he said. “Dozens of dozens of requests. We collect them and pass them on.”

Semrau said he’s not aware of any specific plan for Brooks or Yearwood to visit local businesses, but he wouldn’t be surprised if they do.

“They are normal-people artists, if they want to go out for a cheeseburger it’s not inconceivable to see them pop up at a restaurant or a fast food place to get something to eat,” he said. “They appreciate communities like Sioux Falls, I believe.

“It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they made an unplanned appearance somewhere at one of the city’s many great destinations like the falls or downtown or its great restaurants.”